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M — 


THE    GREAT   MENACE 

OF 

CIVILIZATION 


CANCER 

CAUSE 

PREVENTION 

CURE 


BY 


EDWARD  PERCY  ROBINSON,  M.D. 


RECAP 


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CANCER 

CAUSE 

PREVENTION 

CURE 


CANCER 


CAUSE 

PREVENTION 

CURE 

BY 
EDWARD  PERCY  ROBINSON,  M.D. 


NEW    YORK 

Privately  Printed 

1918 


Copyright,  1918 
E,  P.  Robinson,  M.D. 


THE  GREAT  MENACE  OF 
CIVILIZATION 

Society  is  organized  primarily  for  protection. 
Given  protection  from  its  enemies,  tlie  body 
politic  will  thrive  and  develop  and  fulfill  its  des- 
tiny according  to  the  vital  laws  which  govern 
it.  In  a  parallel  manner  this  is  true  of  every 
living  organism.  Give  it  protection  from  its 
enemies  and,  other  things  being  equal,  it  will 
adjust  itself  to  the  environment  and  thus  com- 
plete its  cycle  of  life.  Volumes  may  be  easily 
written  on  the  subject;  indeed  volumes  have 
been  written  on  it  and  all  around  it. 

But  what  concerns  us  in  this  little  treatise, 
is  the  special  organism  which  we  call  human. 
And  among  all  its  enemies,  we  shall  deal  with 
but  one.  This  is  an  insidious  foe  which,  since 
time  immemorial,  has  worked  under  the  cover 
of  ignorance.  Por  ages  it  has  been  a  public 
menace.  Terror  is  associated  with  its  very 
name,  l^othing  perhaps  will  blanch  the  cheeks 
more  quickly  than  to  be  told :  You  have  a  cancer. 
It  is  like  a  sentence  of  death  to  which  the 
execution  is  prescribed,  replete  with  grewsome 


6  CANCER 

detail.  A  cloud  of  horrors  at  once  rises  up  be- 
fore tlie  mind.  The  soul  sickens.  The  world 
has  changed. 

Is  it  a  small  thing  to  rid  the  mind  of  this 
nightmare?  Would  it  he  a  just  thing  to  raise 
up  hope  out  of  despair  if  hope  were  only  to  be 
dashed  to  the  ground?  The  answers  come 
spontaneously  to  the  lips  of  any  ethical  being. 
Surely,  no  one  of  common  sense  would  attempt 
to  raise  such  hope  where  no  grounds  for  it  exist. 
It  would  be  morally  criminal  to  do  so — repre- 
hensible and  extremely  cruel. 

Let  us  see  what  grounds  we  have  on  which  to 
rear  the  hope  of  prevention  and  cure  of  what  is 
popularly  known  as  Cancer. 

What  is  this  disease  which  follows  civiliza- 
tion so  relentlessly  ?  Its  name  gives  no  clue  to 
its  nature,  since  cancer  comes  from  the  Latin, 
meaning  crab,  just  as  carcinoma  is  derived  from 
the  Greek  word  karkinos,  which  means  the  same 
thing.  The  ancient  writers,  who  named  this 
malady,  drew  upon  their  imagination — a  com- 
mon practice  in  the  early  days — and  because 
they  thought  it  resembled  a  crab,  they  called  it 
cancer  or  carcinoma.  The  spread  of  the  disease 
suggested  claws  which  were  gnawing  away  the 
flesh  of  the  sufferer.  Its  animal  prototype,  how- 
ever, is  nearer  the  octopus  than  the  crab.  In 
fact,  the  name  is  unfortunate,  for  cancer  is  not 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  i 

an  animal,  neither  is  it  caused  by  germs  or 
parasites.  It  is  purely  a  personal  affliction,  to 
which  anyone  in  middle  life,  or  beyond,  is  liable. 
It  is  neither  contagious  nor  infectious.  That 
is  to  say,  it  cannot  be  communicated  from  one 
person  to  anothdl*  even  by  inoculation;  but  as 
the  name  originated  thousands  of  years  before 
modem  scientists  discovered  the  pathological 
nature  of  the  cells  found  in  the  tissues  of  the 
tumor,  it  has  persisted  until  v^e  find  it  not  only 
in  the  nomenclature  of  science,  but  in  the  ver- 
nacular as  v^ell. 

In  order  to  get  a  correct  conception  of  can- 
cer, it  is  necessary  to  say  a  v^ord  about  inflam- 
mation. Almost  everybody  is  familiar  with  the 
physical  manifestation  known  as  inflammation, 
in  some  form,  since  it  is  so  readily  recognized 
by  its  characteristic  features,  namely:  heat, 
swelling,  redness,  and  pain.  However,  these 
symptoms  are  not  always  apparent  to  the  casual 
observer.  In  cancer  they  are  deep-seated  and, 
in  many  instances,  all  that  can  be  observed  is  a 
growth  or  a  tumor  in  the  part  affected.  An 
excess  of  blood  to  any  part  of  the  body  will  in- 
crease, more  or  less,  the  warmth  of  the  part. 
The  swelling  is  owing  partly  to  the  presence  of 
the  increased  amount  of  blood,  and  partly  to  an 
enlargement  of  each  individual  cell  in  the  in- 
flamed region.     The  influx  of  blood  causes  the 


8  CANCER 

redness,  while  tlie  pain  is  caused  by  pressure, 
or  by  an  irritation  of  the  nerve,  in  the  affected 
area. 

Inflammation  is  a  perfectly  natural  process ; 
it  is  always  the  first  step  in  the  healing  of  all 
wounds.  This  healing  takes  place  through 
what  is  called  the  proliferation  of  the  cells. 
Only  when  inflammation  is  produced  by  bacte- 
rial infection,  or  by  chemical  or  toxic  substances, 
does  it  become  a  pathological  condition  or  a  "dis- 
ease." When  the  causes  are  removed,  the  in- 
flammation subsides  and  the  part  soon  becomes 
normal. 

A  cancer  always  starts  from  some  point  of 
inflammation.  It  makes  no  matter  where  this 
may  be,  so  long  as  the  area  is  inflamed.  And 
during  the  entire  course  of  its  existence  the  area 
affected  with  cancer  is  never  free  from  inflam- 
mation.    This  is  important  to  remember. 

All  cancers  pass  through  certain  stages.  At 
first  there  is  slight  redness.  This  is  called 
hyperemia.  From  this  it  passes  into  the  in- 
flammatory stage,  which  is  nothing  more  than 
an  aggravated  form  of  the  original  hyperemia. 
As  the  inflammation  continues,  a  tumor  is 
formed,  which  is  owing  to  the  increased  prolifer- 
ation of  the  cells  not  only  but  to  their  greater 
size.  The  tumor  at  first  may  be  very  small; 
but  in  the  majority  of  cases  it  rapidly  becomes 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  9 

larger  and  often  attains  considerable  size. 
Again,  the  tumor  may  stop  growing  and  never 
reach  the  cancerous  state,  or,  having  become 
cancerous,  its  malign.ancy  may  be  arrested.  If, 
however,  the  conditions  are  favorable  to  the 
cancerous  formation,  the  tumor-cells  begin  to 
divide  in  an  irregular  manner.  The  nature  or 
method  of  division  is  such  that  a  new  cell  can- 
not be  perfectly  formed,  and  in  this  stage  the 
cell  liquefies. 

Professor  W.  H.  Pike  says :  "A  single  organ- 
ism (meaning  a  cell)  can  grow  and  develop 
only  up  to  a  certain  point,  limited  by  its  degree 
of  specialization.  That  further  progress  may 
be  made,  the  individual  life  must  cease  and  give 
place  to  a  successor." 

It  was  only  through  the  discovery  of  the 
microscope  that  the  study  of  cell-life  became 
possible,  and,  indeed,  it  was  by  mere  chance 
that  the  cell  was  revealed.  A  monk,  as  the  story 
goes,  was  looking  at  a  piece  of  vegetable  tissue 
through  a  microscope.  He  thought  he  saw  little 
spaces  or  cavities  lying  close  to  one  another. 
These  spaces  he  named  cells.  Years  later,  a 
physician  made  a  similar  discovery  while  exam- 
ining some  animal  tissue,  and  he,  also,  called 
these  spaces  cells.  This  name  has  clung  to  them 
although  they  are  not  cells,  really,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  solid  particles  of  matter. 


10  CANCER 

As  the  microscopic  study  of  tlie  cell  is  most 
important  in  the  diagnosis  of  cancer,  it  will  be 
clear  to  the  reader  why,  later  in  this  book,  the 
nature  of  the  cell  is  so  carefully  treated. 

During  the  past  thirty  years,  the  subject  of 
cancer  has  occupied  the  attention  of  investi- 
gators to  a  greater  degree,  perhaps,  than  any 
other  disease,  and,  of  course,  the  cell  has  been 
the  main  object  in  this  field  of  study. 

The  fact  has  been  established  that  all  tumors 
and  cancers  are  composed  of  the  same  cells  as 
those  of  the  tissues  in  which  these  growths  are 
found.  Por  example,  if  the  cancer  develops  in 
the  liver,  the  cancer-cells  will  be  liver-cells;  if 
the  cancer  attacks  the  bone,  the  cancer-cells  will 
be  boner-cells ;  and  so  on,  through  all  the  varieties 
of  cells  which  make  up  the  bodily  tissues.  The 
only  differences  which  pathologists  have  found 
between  cancer-cells  and  normal  tissue-cells,  are 
the  manner  of  division,  their  rapidity  of  growth, 
and  their  variations  of  size  and  shape.  Thus 
some  may  be  large ;  these  are  called  giant  cells ; 
others  are  round ;  still  others  are  spindle-shaped ; 
and  so  they  are  named  according  to  the  forms 
they  assume. 

From  this  it  is  clear  that  when  cell-division  is 
imperfectly  performed,  a  perfect  cell  cannot  be 
developed,  since  cell-progeny  is  produced  by  a 
division  of  the  cell  in  half.     Thus  when  death 


CAUSE — PEEVENTION — CURE  H 

ends  the  family  existence  of  any  particular  cells, 
their  nonrial  propagation  naturally  ceases. 

To  make  this  clearer,  no  one  would  think  of 
planting  half  an  apple-seed  with  the  expectation 
of  growing  a  perfect  apple-tree.  The  same 
principle  governs  the  growth  of  cells.  As  death 
carries  away  countless  millions  of  these  tiny 
cancer-cells,  a  cavity  is  formed  in  the  once 
healthy  tissue,  by  the  process  known  as  ulcer- 
ation. 

The  so-called  "roots"  of  a  cancer  are  merely 
the  lymphatic  vessels  and  the  veins  into  which 
cancerous  inflammation  has  spread.  These  bo- 
come  hard  and  nodulated.  In  a  like  manner 
the  glands  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  cancer 
swell  and  harden.  It  is  from  these  centers  that 
a  second  cancer  develops  after  a  removal  of  the 
first.  To  this  secondary  process  the  name  meta- 
static cancer  is  given  (meaning  the  transfer  of 
disease  from  one  organ  or  part  to  another  not 
directly  connected  with  it)  ;  but  at  no  time  in 
the  existence  of  the  disease  is  inflammation 
ever  absent ;  and  the  only  change  in  the  original 
healthy  tissue-cells  is  in  their  characteristic 
forms,  the  manner  of  their  irregular  division, 
and  subsequent  liquefaction  and  death.  The 
conclusion  from  this  is  startling,  and  it  might 
well  cause  one  to  exclaim:  "A  cancer,  then,  is 
nothing  more  than  a  state  of  inflammation  which 


12  C  A  N  C  E  E 

lias  become  malignant."  So  it  seems  to  the 
writer,  since  there  is  nothing  else  that  it  can  be. 
It  might  be  well,  therefore,  to  drop  the  mis- 
nomer cancer,  and  call  the  disease  by  its  right 
name :  Malignant  Inflammation, 

It  follows  that,  if  cancer  is  an  inflammation, 
the  proper  method  of  preventing  it  is  to  refrain 
from  the  things  which  cause  the  inflammation. 
Chief  among  these,  as  we  shall  see,  is  the  excess 
soda  present  in  the  blood  and  other  tissues  of 
the  body.  This  is  the  agent  which  starts  the 
focus  of  inflammation;  but  many  readers  will 
say  that  they  know  of  cancers  which  started 
from  an  injury,  such  as  follows  a  blow  or  a 
bruise  of  some  sort ;  and,  in  a  sense,  this  is  true, 
for  the  bruise  starts  the  initial  stage  of  hyper- 
emia from  which  all  cancers  and  tumors  arise. 
If,  however,  bruises  in  themselves  caused  can- 
cer, the  animal  kingdom  long  since  would  have 
passed  away,  because  every  living  thing  has,  at 
some  time  in  its  life,  received  some  sort  of 
traumatic  injury. 

Cancer  is  not  a  disease  that  one  inherits ;  but 
it  is  a  disease  which  can  be  acquired.  Parents 
cannot  transmit  it  to  their  offspring.  It  may 
be  found  in  certain  families,  but  in  such  fam- 
ilies it  will  be  observed  that  a  tendency  to  in- 
flammation exists.  This  tendency  is  fostered 
by  an  excessive  use  of  some  one  or  many  of  the 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  13 

salts  of  soda,  of  which  mention  will  he  made 
hereafter.  For  this  reason,  persons  with  a 
family  history  of  cancer  should  he  extremely 
careful  not  to  use  these  chemicals  to  excess. 

This  leads  us  to  a  consideration  of  the  cause 
of  cancer:  In  the*first  place,  we  shall  have  to 
know  what  a  normal  organism  is  in  order  to 
understand  the  processes  of  disease.  We  must 
know  what  health  is  hefore  we  can  know  what 
disease  is,  since  disease  is  only  a  divergence — 
an  acceleration  or  a  retardation — of  the  proc- 
esses which  we  call  normal.  To  arrive  at  this 
understanding,  we  need  use  only  simple  terms. 
Learned  nomenclature  is  a  convenience  to  minds 
trained  in  science;  but  it  carries  little  light  to 
those  who  are  not  specialists.  For  this  reason, 
only  the  simplest  terms  will  be  employed. 

In  the  words  of  William  Walker  Atkinson, 
Mind  and  Body:  "Each  living  thing  has  been 
evolved  from  a  minute  particle  of  matter  in 
which  the  most  critical  tests  of  science  are  un- 
able to  discover  the  slightest  resemblance,  out- 
line, or  suggestion  of  the  adult  form  which  is 
to  arise  therefrom.  This  living  particle  from 
which  the  complex  organism  is  to  proceed,  is 
called  a  germ.  It  is  simple,  in  its  primordial 
state,  a  cell  of  living  matter,  endowed  potentially 
with  a  principle  of  growth,  expansion,  and  final 
maturity  of  organic  structure;  but  no  trace  of 


14  CANCER 

such  organic  structure  is  discoverable  in  the 
germ  itself.  Indeed,  it  is  not  certainly  known 
that  a  germ  is  actually  alive.  Perhaps  it  were 
better  to  define  it  in  the  first  intent  as  poten- 
tially alive.  In  any  event,  neither  the  micro- 
scope nor  chemical  analysis  is  able  to  indicate 
the  existence  in  a  germ  proper  of  any  fact  or 
quality  by  which  it  may  be  discriminated  from 
other  cells  which  have  no  power  of  growth  or 
development. 

"The  better  view  is  that  every  germ  capable  of 
becoming  an  organic  body  is  itself  a  detached 
portion  of  the  substance  of  some  living  organism 
already  existing.  For  a  long  time  Harvey's 
biological  aphorism,  ^Omne  vivum  ex  ovo,'  or 
'Every  living  thing  from  an  egg^  was  accepted 
as  the  correct  expression  for  the  beginning  of 
the  individual  life,  and  the  maxim  has  been  but 
slightly  modified  by  the  more  recent  biology  into 
the  form  of  'Every  living  thing  from  something 
alive' — the  distinction  being  that  a  cell  may 
have  all  the  qualities  of  a  germ  except  the  touch 
of  life  and  yet  remain  incapable  as  any  other 
not-living  matter  of  becoming  an  organic  body. 

"Scientific  tests  have  been  carefully  applied 
to  germs  of  many  kinds,  and  their  quality 
clearly  determined.  The  living  cell  is  found 
to  be  filled  with  the  chemical  compound  called 
protein,  consisting  under  analysis  of  oxygen, 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  15 

hydrogen,  carbon  and  nitrogen,  with  traces  of 
sulphur  and  phosphorus  swimming  in  much 
water.  It  should  be  observed  that  protein  is 
not  a  natural  product;  that  is,  it  is  always,  so 
far  as  known,  a  constituent  of  living  organisms 
or  a  product  thereof — a  conclusion  which 
strengthens  the  belief  that  without  life,  life 
cannot  begin. 

"Such,  then,  is  the  germ  from  which  every 
organic  body  takes  its  rise.  From  this  the  liv- 
ing individual  begins  to  be.  Henceforth  the 
history  of  the  individual  life  is  a  history  of 
process,  changes,  adaptions,  and,  in  a  word, 
evolution.  The  first  of  these  changes  and 
transformations  is  simple  growth.  The  germ, 
or  living  cell,  begins  to  increase  in  size.  This 
is  the  first  manifestation,  indeed,  that  the  par- 
ticle of  matter  in  question  is  a  true  germ.  It 
expands  by  a  force  seemingly  within  itself ;  but 
at  first  without  other  modification  in  character. 
It  remains  under  the  first  expansion  simple  and 
homogeneous. 

"The  second  stage  of  the  evolution  is  marked 
by  the  appearance  of  a  stricture  corresponding 
to  the  equator  of  the  cell  by  which  a  division 
begins  to  be  effected,  and  two  cells  produced  in- 
stead of  one.  Each  of  the  two  parts  assumes, 
in  turn,  the  form  and  character  of  the  original ; 
but  the  division  is  not  complete,  the  substance  of 


16  CANCER 

the  two  cells  continuing  to  flow  in  common  un- 
der the  line  of  the  stricture.  Around  each  of 
the  two  lobes,  lines  of  division  appear,  and  four 
parts  are  produced  instead  of  two,  and  these 
four  by  division,  become  eight,  each  of  which 
retains  the  exact  characteristics  of  the  original 
germ.  Thus  is  produced  what  is  known  as  a 
cell  aggregate,  which  is  the  first  stage  in  the 
advance  from  the  germ  towards  a  complete 
organic  being. 

^^The  question  at  once  arises  by  what  means 
this  first  enlargement  of  germ,  life  is  effected. 
Whence  come  the  materials  which  the  cell 
uses  in  its  own  enlargement?  Certainly  not 
out  of  nothing.  The  cell  has  the  power  of 
appropriation.  It  has  this  in  virtue  of  the 
life-principle  within.  It  draws  to  itself  and 
absorbs  the  aliment  whereof  the  increase  in 
size  and  other  phenomena  of  division  and 
multiplication  are  produced.  The  materials 
so  gathered  are  not  mechanically  disturbed 
as  if  they  were  packed  between  the  parts  of 
the  living  cells,  but  are  absorbed  and  assimi- 
lated with  the  substance  thereof,  or,  in  a  word, 
digested. 

^^The  organisms  of  the  larger  animals  and  of 
man  are  composed  of  thirty  or  more  species  of 
cells.  An  aggTcgation  of  cells  becomes  a  feder- 
ation.    That  is  to  say,  certain  cells  unite  and 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  17 

form  what  we  term  a  tissue.  Tlie  body  is  made 
up  of  different  forms  of  tissues.  For  example : 
We  have  muscular  tissue,  cellular  tissue,  bone 
tissue,  etc.  .  .  . 

"The  body  of  each  of  us  is  simply  a  great 
community  of  cells  of  various  kinds.  The  cells 
are  born  by  various  forms  of  reproduction  com- 
mon to  all  cells,  that  of  sub-division.  Each  cell 
grows  until  a  certain  size  is  reached,  when  it 
assumes  a  "dumb-bell"  shape,  with  a  tiny  waist 
line,  which  waist  is  afterwards  dissolved  and 
the  two  cells  move  away  from  each  other.  In 
this  way,  and  this  way  alone,  does  the  body 
grow,  the  material  required  for  the  enlargement 
of  the  cell  being  supplied  from  the  food  and 
nourishment  partaken  by  the  individual.  Cells 
die  after  having  performed  their  life-work,  and 
their  corpses  are  carried  through  the  veins  by 
the  carrier  cells,  and  cast  into  the  crematory  of 
the  lungs,  where  they  are  consumed.  .  .  . 

"The  body  is  constantly  undergoing  a  process 
of  change  and  regeneration.  Old  cells  are  be- 
ing cast  off  every  second,  and  new  cells  are  tak- 
ing their  places.  Our  muscles,  tissues,  hair, 
nails,  nerves,  brain  substance,  and  even  our 
bones  are  constantly  being  made  over  and  re- 
built. Our  bodies  to-day  do  not  contain  a  single 
particle  of  the  material  which  composed  them 
a  few  years  back.     A  few  weeks  suffice  to  re- 


18  CANCER 

place  our  entire  skin,  and  a  few  montlis  to  re- 
place other  parts  of  the  body.  If  a  sufficiently 
large  microscope  could  be  placed  over  our  bodies, 
we  would  see  each  part  of  it  as  active  as  a  hive 
of  bees,  each  cell  being  in  action  and  motion, 
and  the  entire  domestic  work  of  the  human  hive 
being  performed  according  to  law  and  or- 
der. .  .  . 

"We  are  compelled  to  acknowledge  a  power 
of  natural  recovery  inherent  in  the  body — a 
similar  statement  has  been  made  by  writers  on 
the  principles  of  medicine  in  all  ages.  The  body 
does  possess  a  means  and  mechanism  for  modify- 
ing or  neutralizing  influences  which  it  cannot 
directly  overcome.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes 
says :  ^Whatever  other  theories  we  hold  we  must 
recognize  the  "vis  medicatrix  naturae"  in  some 
shape  or  other.'  Bruce  says :  ^A  natural  power 
of  the  prevention]  and  repair  of  disorders  and 
disease  has  a  real  and  as  active  an  existence 
within  us,  as  have  the  ordinary  functions  of 
the  organs  themselves.'  Hippocrates  said :  ^!N'a- 
ture  is  the  physician  of  diseases.'  .  .  . 

"In  every  cell  there  is  to  be  found  intelli- 
gence in  a  degree  required  for  the  successful 
performance  of  the  particular  task  of  that 
cell.  .  .  . 

"In  short,  the  cells  of  the  body  are  living 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  19 

organs  for  the  expression  and  manifestation  of 
tlie  Subconscious  Mind." 

The  following  quotation  from  Dr.  Thomas 
J.  Hudson's  ^^Mental  Medicine"  clearly  ex- 
presses a  truth  conceded  by  modem  science. 
Dr.  Hudson  says:  "It  follows  a  priori,  that 
every  cell  in  the  body  is  endowed  with  intelli- 
gence; and  this  is  precisely  what  all  biological 
science  tells  us  is  true.  Beginning  with  the  low- 
est form  of  animal  life,  the  humblest  cytode, 
every  living  cell  is  endowed  with  a  wonderful 
intelligence.  There  is,  in  fact,  no  line  to  be 
drawn  between  life  and  mind." 

The  cells  are  endowed  with  the  faculty  of 
discrimination.  They  must  choose  between  the 
foods  which  nourish  them  and  the  substances 
which  do  not.  Thus  the  cells  of  our  bodies  are 
supported,  principally,  by  the  chemical  salts 
taken  from  the  animal  and  vegetable  matter 
which  we  use  as  food.  This  food,  having  un- 
dergone complicated  ;^hysical  and  chemical 
changes,  passes  into  the  blood.  The  cells  are 
compelled  to  accept  or  reject  it.  In  normal 
conditions  they  take  what  they  need  to  main- 
tain themselves  in  health  and  they  reject  the 
rest.  Thus  the  great  art  of  correct  or  proper 
living  depends  upon  the  knowledge  of  how  much 
of  the  different  foods  is  necessary.     Too  much 


20  CANCER 

of  one  kind  and  too  little  of  another  may  be 
equally  harmful. 

^Nature  has  adjusted  plant-life  to  animal  re- 
quirements, or,  what  amounts  to  the  same  thing, 
animal  needs  to  plant-contents  and  conditions. 
The  more  important  soil-derived  elements  of 
plant  food  include  chlorine,  sulphur,  phos^ 
phorus,  silicon,  potassium,  sodium,  calciura, 
magnesium,  iron  and  nitrogen,  either  free  or  as 
nitrates. 

The  chemical  salts  of  the  plant  supply  the 
needs  of  the  animal  which  feeds  on  the  plant. 
But  to  prevent  the  over-accumulation  in  the 
animal  cells  of  any  one  constituent  taken  in  as 
food,  a  variety  of  vegetable  life  is  accessible  (to 
the  animal). 

The  diet  of  man,  being  of  both  animal  and 
vegetable  tissues,  retains  the  proportions  of  these 
chemical  constituents  undisturbed.  But  there 
is  one  salt  so  artificially  increased  that  its  just 
relation  to  the  others  is  enormously  out  of  pro- 
portion. This  is  sodium  chloride,  or  what  is 
known  as  common  table  salt.  The  increase  of 
this  ingredient  in  our  food  is  obvious  to  all  who 
live  under  present-day  civilization ;  for  there  is 
scarcely  a  meal  that  has  not  been  well  salted  in 
the  process  of  its  preparation,  and  again  well 
salted  when  served,  and  possibly  once  more 
salted  before  it  is  eaten. 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  21 

Let  us  consider  for  a  moment  how  mucli 
salt  is  consumed  daily  and  what  becomes  of  the 
excess.  Common  sense  will  quickly  tell  us  how 
unwise  it  must  be  to  continue  tal?:ing  such  dis- 
proportionate quantities  of  this  material. 

All  the  salt  needed  by  the  human  system  is 
supplied  by  the  animal  and  vegetable  tissues 
which  we  eat.  The  extra  salt  added  to  our  food 
is  excessive.  The  digestive  fluid  of  the  stom- 
ach, called  the  gastric  juice,  contains  among 
other  things,  hydrochloric  acid.  This  acid  is 
made  from  the  salt  taken  into  the  stomach,  no 
matter  whether  the  salt  is  naturally  held  by  the 
food  or  artificially  put  into  it;  and  it  is  made 
from  nothing  else.  Therefore,  too  much  salt 
will  produce  too  much  acid. 

Any  substance,  or  any  amount  of  substances, 
which  nature  does  not  need  in  the  economy  of 
the  system  is  passed  from  the  body.  Substances 
not  required  are  regarded  as  foreign,  and  quan- 
tities over  and  above  the  amount  necessary  to 
health  are  actually  superfluous.  Tor  only  what 
is  naturally  needed  is  retained  and  used  by  the 
cells. 

The  kidneys  are  the  organs  which  remove  the 
salts  from  the  body.  They  must  do  extra  work 
in  proportion  to  the  excess  which  must  be  re- 
moved. These  organs,  termed  the  filters  of  the 
body,  are  extremely  sensitive  to  the  presence  of 


22  CANCER 

irritating  substances;  their  mechanism  is  in- 
tricate and  consists  of  cells  so  highly  specialized 
in  the  task  of  separating  chemical  substances 
from  the  blood,  that  some  biologists  consider 
the  kidneys  as  organs  possessing  a  high  degree 
of  intelligent  discrimination.  J^ormally,  they 
will  remove  a  reasonable  amount  of  salt  from 
the  blood  and  fluids  of  the  body,  and  even  con- 
tinue to  remove  an  excess  for  a  time,  but  when 
their  capacity  is  overtaxed  they  cease  to  function 
and  the  poisonous  excretions  are  thereby  thrown 
back  into  the  cells  of  the  body.  It  is  plain,  to 
be  seen  how  much  depends  on  the  treatment 
they  receive.  The  civilized  adult  passes  about 
fifty  ounces  (a  little  over  four  pints)  of  water 
during  the  twenty-four  hours.  This  is  consid- 
ered a  normal  amount.  An  analysis  of  this 
water  shows,  besides  other  substances,  the  pres- 
ence of  the  half  of  one  per  cent  of  chlorides 
(written  0.50).  The  chlorides  come  from  the 
salts  which  have  been  eaten.  A  rough  calcula- 
tion will  show  that  something  like  two  drams, 
or  120  grains,  or  about  two  teaspoonfuls  of  salt 
are  removed  from  the  body  daily.  It  is  hardly 
reasonable  to  assume  that  the  kidneys  can  con- 
tinue this  extraordinary  task  of  analytical 
chemistry  indefinitely  and  remain  healthy. 
However,  I  said  that  nature  only  removed  the 
excess.     Then,   theoretically,   the  half  of  one 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  23 

per  cent  must  be  an  excess.  If  this  is  true, 
common  sense  would  ask :  wliy  put  this  excess  of 
salt  into  the  system  and  thus  force  the  kidneys 
to  do  unnecessary  work  to  get  rid  of  it  ?  The 
relish  of  salt — its  agreeable  taste — is  a  poor 
reason  for  a  rational  person  to  give.  It  goes 
without  saying  that  it  would  be  much  wiser  to 
reduce  the  excess  passed  in  the  urine  to  about 
0.05,  which  is  quite  liberal  enough. 

There  is  never  any  danger  of  eating  too  little 
salt  since  the  system  is  always  passing  an  excess. 
And  here  it  may  be  well  to  quote  from  A.  R. 
Cushing's  work  on  The  Secretion  of  Urine. 
^^The  percentage  of  sodium  in  the  blood  plasma 
remains  practically  unchanged  whatever  the 
amount  in  the  urine  may  be ;  any  marked  devi- 
ation is  incompatible  with  life."  That  is  to 
say,  the  blood  and  the  other  fluids  of  the  body 
will  continue  to  retain  their  required  amount  of 
salt  despite  the  fact  that  little  or  none  is  passed 
in  the  urine.  Indeed,  the  amount  of  salt  which 
must  be  taken  to  maintain  its  normal  quantity 
in  the  bodily  fluids  is  very  small.  Many  per- 
sons eat  none  whatever  except  that  which  nature 
has  put  into  their  food.  This  is  particularly 
true  of  savage  peoples.  The  North  American 
Indians,  for  example,  use  very  little  salt,  and 
this  only  on  ceremonial  occasions  when  a  bowl 
is  passed  around  from  which  each  takes  a  pinch. 


24  CANCER 

Right  here  it  can  be  stated,  that  cancer  is  un- 
known amongst  the  Indians  living  in  their 
natural  state. 

An  excellent  authority  on  the  Far  East  says: 
^^I  was  unable  to  see  or  even  hear  of  any  cancer, 
although  I  met  a  large  number  of  medical  men 
and  made  many  inquiries  regarding  the  disease. 
I  visited  hospitals  with  a  total  of  many  thou- 
sands of  patients  in  Japan,  China,  Korea,  the 
Philippines,  India,  Siam  and  Egypt.  Every- 
where I  met  with  the  same  statement,  viz.,  that 
cancer  was  rarely  seen  among  those  vegetarian 
peoples." 

It  is  important  to  note  that  this  writer  par- 
ticularly mentions  Japan  as  being  free  from 
cancer,  for  about  twenty-five  years  ago  there 
was  an  enormous  mortality  in  that  country  from 
this  disease.  It  appears  that  in  some  sections 
of  Japan,  at  that  time,  the  inhabitants  lived 
largely  on  salted  fish,  which  was  about  the  only 
animal  food  to  be  had.  As  the  fish  were  caught 
at  a  certain  season  only,  it  was  necessary  to 
preserve  them  in  salt  in  order  to  keep  a  supply 
on  hand.  And  here  again  we  have  a  very  sig- 
nificant fact :  It  was  not  until  the  consumption 
of  salted  fish  had  been  materially  reduced,  with 
the  consequent  lessening  of  salt  used  in  food, 
that  cancer  disappeared  from  Japan.     The  rea- 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  25 

son  being,  it  is  fair  to  infer,  that  the  Japanese 
are  not  salt  gourmands. 

We  of  the  Occident  consider  ourselves  the 
most  highly  civilized  beings  on  earth;  and  yet 
we  die  at  the  rate  of  100,000  yearly  from  can- 
cer and  "malignant  tumors"  while  less  civilized 
peoples,  who  live  more  primitive  lives,  are  free 
from  these  dread  diseases. 

It  would  not  be  quite  fair  to  put  all  the  blame 
on  sodium  chloride  (table  salt)  as  the  only  agent 
through  which  the  element  soda  enters  the  sys- 
tem. There  are  many  other  salts  of  soda  which 
have  become  common  household  remedies,  and 
which  are  taken  with  as  much  avidity  as  the 
common  table  salt.  We  are  familiar,  for  ex- 
ample, with  bicarbonate  of  soda.  Almost  every- 
one has  taken  a  dose  of  this  salt  to  relieve  an 
"acid  stomach";  and  many  of  us  have  learned 
by  experience  that  the  relief  is  only  temporary, 
for  it  is  usually  followed  by  a  greater  acidity. 
Furthermore,  the  cells  of  the  body  must  either 
remove  the  excess  soda,  or  else  suffer  it  to  crowd 
out  the  potash-element  which  normally  belongs 
to  their  chemical  composition. 

In  addition  there  is  the  benzoate  of  soda,  the 
salicylate  of  soda,  and  borate  of  soda,  used  to 
preserve  certain  perishable  foods,  together  with 
salts  formed  by  the  combination  of  soda  with 
fatty  acids.     These  salts,  it  is  true,  are  taken 


26  CANCER 

in  very  small  amounts,  nevertheless  they  are 
sufficient  to  injure  the  health  and  therefore  the 
efficiency  of  the  cells.  Moreover,  there  is  the 
rather  lavish  use  of  baking  soda  in  the  house- 
hold. All  these  salts  are  but  different  forms 
of  the  same  element.  That  is  to  say,  soda  is 
present  in  them  all,  or  they  would  not  be  called 
salts  of  soda.  It  is  almost  superfluous  to  men- 
tion the  salts  used  in  canned  goods. 

After  this  insidious  fashion  soda  enters  the 
human  body  in  such  large  quantities  and  so  con- 
tinuously, that  the  cells  become  charged  with  it 
to  their  great  harm.  And  why  is  this?  Be- 
cause the  excess  soda  element  of  the  cell-ingTe- 
dients  displaces  the  potash  which  is  essential  to 
their  healthy  functions.  Thus  the  cells  are 
forced  to  fight  for  existence  in  a  hostile  environ- 
ment, and  being  denied  the  material  destined 
for  them,  they  fall  prey  to  disease  and  disinte- 
gration, one  phase  of  which  is  known  as  cancer. 

The  real  or  inciting  cause  of  cancer  is  the 
excessive  sodium  element  in  the  cells  and  fluids 
of  the  body.  This  poison,  for  it  is  nothing  else 
(when  in  excess),  so  weakens  the  cells'  power 
of  resistance  that  they  quickly  become  inflamed 
and  frequently  pass  into  a  malignant  condition. 

Perhaps  the  reason  why  cancer  develops 
late  in  life,  is  owing  to  the  failure  of  the  cells 
to  distinguish  between  the  soda  and  potash  ele- 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  27 

ments ;  and  therefore  as  the  soda  element  is  not 
at  first  recognized  by  the  cells  as  a  poison,  it 
slowly  insinuates  itself  into  their  bodies  and, 
by  the  most  minute  gradations,  finally  displaces 
the  potash  salt.  This  is  a  slow  process,  requir- 
ing years  until  the  change  is  complete.  And 
thus  it  is  that  cancer  is  a  disease  of  middle  life 
and  beyond.  This  is  a  logical  assumption,  since 
the  disease  never  attacks  infants  and  young  chil- 
dren. 

The  writer  set  out  with  the  purpose  to  offer 
some  suggestions  for  the  prevention  and  the 
possible  elimination  of  this  disease ;  to  see,  if  he 
could,  whether  hope  may  not  take  the  place  of 
despair.  iTaturally,  the  physician  is  always  the 
proper  person  to  consult  regarding  all  questions 
pertaining  to  health  or  disease,  and  particularly 
so  when  a  condition  such  as  cancer  is  suspected. 
Usually  more  harm  is  done  in  self-treatment 
than  by  leaving  things  alone.  But  the  follow- 
ing suggestions  may  prove  vastly  beneficial  to 
the  great  masses  of  people  subject  to  this  dis- 
ease, largely  through  ignorance  of  its  causes,  its 
processes,  and  the  rational  means  of  its  pre- 
vention and  elimination. 

The  question  arises:  What  is  to  be  done? 
The  answer  is  simple  enough.  Eat  less  soda 
and  mora  of  the  vegetables  which  contain  the 
potash  salts.     Thus  the  mortality  from  cancer 


28  CANCER 

may  be  greatly  reduced  by  the  avoidance  of 
such  diets  as  contain  an  excess  of  salt.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  guard  against  too  much  salt 
in  the  food.  JSTone  should  be  added  after  the 
food  is  served.  The  amount  of  salt  commonly 
used  for  seasoning  during  the  cooking  is  ample, 
and  more  than  enough  to  supply  the  needs  of 
the  system.  The  salting  of  food  before  tasting 
it  is  absurd;  and  besides,  it  is  a  vulgar  habit 
never  indulged  by  refined  epicurians,  who  rather 
enjoy  the  natural  flavor  of  the  morsel  before  it 
has  been  killed  with  brine. 

Bicarbonate  of  soda  should  not  be  taken  every 
time  an  uncomfortable  feeling  occurs  in  the 
stomach.     The  reasons  for  this  have  been  given. 

Anyone  sufficiently  interested  in  wholesome 
diet  may  write  to  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture, Washington,  D.  C,  for  information  on  the 
subject.  Leaflets  and  pamphlets  will  be  sent 
containing  oceans  of  useful  knowledge  on  the 
composition  of  foods,  their  food  values — and 
things  of  a  kindred  nature.  This  information 
cannot  be  compressed  within  these  limits.  The 
subject  in  hand  is  rather  the  discussion  of  can- 
cer, its  cause,  its  prevention,  and  cure  by  medic- 
inal means. 

While  on  the  subject  of  food,  however,  a  few 
suggestions  may  be  acceptable.  The  skin  of  the 
potato  is  rich  in  salts  useful  to  the  cells  of  the 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  29 

"body.  Therefore  tlie  skin  should  he  eaten  with 
the  potato.  There  are  many  foods  eaten  hy  our 
friends,  "the  lower  animals/'  which  would  he 
good  for  human  >  heings.  Take  alfalfa  and 
clover,  for  instance:  There  is  no  reason  why 
these  should  not  he  edible  when  properly  pre- 
pared. They  serve  the  needs  of  the  animal 
economy  admirably.  And  we  cannot  forget,  if 
we  would,  that  the  design,  or  scheme,  of  animal 
life  is  virtually  the  same  for  all.  The  modifica- 
tions are  slight  and  of  little  relative  importance. 
The  same  system  of  immutable  laws  governs  all 
that  live. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  why  such 
grasses  as  clover  and  alfalfa  should  serve  us 
well  as  food.  They  are  rich  in  potash  salts  and 
when  prepared  as  biscuits,  etc.,  from  the  flour, 
should  be  wholesome  as  human  food,  and  such 
articles  added  to  our  diet  would  most  likely  aid 
us  in  avoiding  cancerous  affections.  For  we 
must  remember  that  the  animals  which  feed, 
more  or  less  habitually,  on  these  grasses  are 
not  susceptible  to  cancer.  ' 

For  the  same  reason  an  infusion  of  clover 
might  well  be  substituted  for  tea  and  coffee. 
Some  years  ago  one  of  our  most  distinguished 
American  writers  contributed  an  article,  which 
was  widely  read,  on  the  value  of  "clover-tea"  in 
the  treatment  of  cancer.     Instances  were  cited 


30  CANCER 

of  cancer-cures  effected  merely  by  the  drinking 
of  this  ^^tea."  At  the  time  the  article  appeared, 
many  learned  medical  men  expressed  incredu- 
lity and  amusement.  Clover,  which  belongs  to 
the  pea  family,  is  rich  in  the  nitrate  of  potash, 
and  it  should  therefore  be  an  ideal  agent  for 
introducing  potash  into  the  cells  of  the  body. 
The  scientific  farmer  knows  that  clover  has  the 
means  of  taking  nitrogen  from  the  air  and  stor- 
ing it  in  little  nodules  on  the  roots.  The  proc- 
ess is  aided  by  a  family  of  bacteria.  For  this 
reason  the  farmer  plows  the  clover  under  when 
he  wishes  to  fertilize  the  soil. 

In  preparing  foods  for  the  table  which  have 
been  preserved  in  salt,  a  thorough  preliminary 
soaking  should  be  given  them  before  they  are 
cooked.  By  following  a  few  simple  precautions, 
some  of  which  have  been  suggested,  much  can, 
no  doubt,  be  done  toward  the  prevention  of 
cancer. 

Finally,  the  urine  should  be  examined  occa- 
sionally, to  see  to  it  that  its  percentage  of 
chlorides  is  maintained  suitable  to  one's  en- 
vironment.  The  normal  equation  should  be 
determined  and  adhered  to.  As  has  been  said, 
the  0.50  per  cent  of  chlorides  in  the  urine  is 
much  too  high. 

The  horse,  weighing  about  half  a  ton,  passes 
only  0.07  per  cent  of  chlorides;  the  pig's  per- 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  31 

centage  is  0.13.  These  percentages  vary,  of 
course,  but  authorities  average  them  so  that  they 
may  be  appreciated  at  a  glance.  Incidentally, 
it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  relatively  small 
amount  of  chlorides  passed  by  the  horse  and  the 
high  per  cent  passed  by  the  pig  are  owing  to  the 
manner  in  which  these  domestic  animals  obtain 
their  salt.  The  horse  licks  with  temperance 
and  moderation  a  lump  of  rock  salt  placed  in 
the  manger,  while  the  pig  is  fed  on  scraps  of 
food  from  the  table  of  man  which  contains  more 
salt  than  is  necessary.  It  would  be  better  for 
the  pig,  no  doubt,  if  he  had  a  less  salty  diet. 
He  could  readily  get  all  the  salt  he  needs  from 
his  native  food,  roots,  bulbs,  etc.  Is  it  pre- 
sumptuous to  ask,  why  a  man  should  not  be  as 
temperate  in  his  consumption  of  salt  as  a  pig 
or  horse  ?  Surely  it  would  be  a  blessing  if  man- 
kind were  as  free  from  cancer  as  are  these 
animals. 

Where  cancer  already  exists,  no  effective 
course  of  treatment  can  be  laid  down  in  a  gen- 
eral dissertation.  Cases  vary.  The  question 
arises,  however,  should  a  cancer  be  removed  by 
an  operation?  The  answer  to  this  must  be 
given  by  the  physician  or  surgeon.  ^N'everthe- 
less,  there  is  no  reason  why  an  intelligent  world 
should  not  know  that  there  are  only  twenty-five 
per  cent  of  all  cases  of  cancer  which  can  be 


32  CANCER 

operated  on  and  that  about  five  per  cent  of  this 
number  remain  cured  for  a  few  years  only :  the 
patients  die  of  it  eventually.  An  operation 
removes  the  effect  but  not  the  cause. 

The  following  statistics,  as  given  in  the  Medi- 
cal Becord  of  March  2,  1918  (page  362),  may 
aid  the  sufferer  in  determining  whether  the 
treatment  shall  be  surgical  or  medicinal.  "Since 
1914,  when  there  was  started  the  active  propa- 
ganda for  the  more  radical  surgical  treatment 
of  cancer,  the  increase  in  the  death  rate  has 
been  much  greater  than  before  that  time.  Thus 
in  the  United  States  the  mortality  figure  has 
steadily  risen,  so  that  in  1915  it  was  81.1  per 
100,000  or  a  total  rise  of  28.7  per  cent  since 
1900.  In  1916  it  was  81.8  per  100,000  or 
29.84  per  cent  increase  since  1900. 

"During  1917  there  was  a  total  of  78,467 
deaths  from  all  causes  in  Greater  "New  York 
against  77,948  in  1916,  an  increase  of  519  or 
less  than  one  per  cent;  whereas  the  increase  in 
cancer  deaths  was  224  or  almost  five  per  cent." 

And  the  writer  continues  with  the  statement, 
"Surely  such  figures,  which  cannot  lie  and 
which  show  an  increase  of  cancer  mortality 
nearly  five  times  that  from  general  causes,  can- 
not be  explained  away  by  greater  accuracy  of 
diagnosis  or  more  perfect  recording  of  death 
certificates." 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  33 

From  these  figures  the  reader  may  draw  his 
own  conclusion. 

A  glance  over  the  Weehly  Bulletin  of  March 
9,  1918,  issued  Jby  the  Department  of  Health 
of  a  large  first-clas?  city  of  America,  will  show 
that  those  diseases  incited  by,  or  are  dependent 
upon,  an  inflammatory  condition  of  the  cell-tis- 
sue involved  have  the  highest  death  rate.  The 
order  is  as  follows :  Cancer,  Malignant  Tumor, 
105 ;  Organic  Heart  Disease,  265 ;  Pneumonia, 
232;  Broncho  Pneumonia,  102;  Bright's  dis- 
ease and  I^ephritis,  121;  Tuberculosis,  193. 

And  although  Tuberculosis  of  the  lungs  is 
caused  by  a  recognizable  bacillus,  this  disease, 
in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  would  be  less  prev- 
alent if  the  lung  tissue  was  not  subjected  to  the 
irritating  action  of  an  excess  of  soda  on  the 
delicate  air-cells  of  the  lungs.  And  this  as- 
sumption is  based  on  the  fact  that  all  bacilli,  in 
order  to  grow,  must  first  find  a  suitable,  fertile 
field  for  their  propagation,  and  that  an  inflam- 
mation, or  a  tendency  thereto,  is  the  primary 
step  in  the  cultivation  of  all  germ  diseases. 

This  being  conceded,  can  we  not,  by  analogy, 
reasonably  include  under  this  category,  that 
most  prevalent  and  disgusting  affliction  known 
as  Pyorrhea  or  Pigg's  disease?  For  although 
a  distinct  organism  (an  entameba)  is  frequently 
found  in  the  ulcerated  gTim  tissue  in  cases  of 


34  CANCER 

pyorrhea,  it  has  never  been  found  in  gums  free 
from  inflammation. 

On  September  1,  1917,  The  Medical  Record 
published  an  article  under  the  heading,  "An 
Hypothesis  Eegarding  the  Physicochemical  ISTa- 
ture  of  Cancer,"  submitted  by  the  writer,  in 
which  his  views  and  reasons  for  attributing  the 
cause  of  cancer  to  excessive  use  of  common  table 
salt  were  set  forth.  In  another  article  under  the 
heading,  "A  Plea  for  the  Use  of  Potassium  Wi- 
trate  in  the  Treatment  of  Cancer,"  reasons  were 
given  for  the  belief  that  an  antidote  for  the 
poisonous  effects  of  common  salt  on  the  human 
system  had  been  discovered.  The  following  is 
taken  verbatim  from  this  article: 

"Eegarding  Potassium  l^itrate  from  the  view- 
point of  a  therapeutic  agent  in  the  treatment  of 
cancer,  the  writer  feels  that  enough  has  been 
offered  here  to  show  reasons  why  this  drug 
should  be  given  a  trial.  In  the  past,  the  in- 
ternal treatment  of  cancer,  decidedly  meagre, 
and  undoubtedly  empirical,  was  not  productive 
of  any  remedial  advantages  from  which  a  system 
of  treatment  might  be  formulated,  and  if  per- 
chance there  were  evidences  of  improvement  or 
of  cure  in  any  given  instance,  no  logical  reasons 
for  such  phenomena  were  forthcoming.  But  in 
this  instance  we  start  with  the  hypothesis  that 
sodium  chloride  is  the  cause  of  cancer;  and  we 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  35 

learn  that  potassium  nitrate  is  effective  in  dis- 
placing this  substance!  in  the  manner  already 
described,  namely:  that  the  nitrates  displace 
the  chlorides;  that  the  potassium  salt  displaces 
the  sodium  salt,  and  at  the  same  time  takes  the 
place  of  the  sodium  salt  in  the  cell,  of  which 
it  is  a  natural  component. 

^'Be  this  as  it  may.  When  it  is  realized  that 
the  death-rate  of  cancer  has  almost  reached  the 
appalling  number  of  One  Hundred  Thousand 
lives  yearly,  and  that  in  E'ew  York  City  alone 
the  v^eekly  average  of  deaths  from  cancer  and 
malignant  tumors  is  in  the  neighborhood  of 
ninety,  it  v^ould  seem  that  any  drug  (especially 
one  as  harmless  as  potash)  which  offered  the 
slightest  hope  in  ameliorating  this  awful  scourge 
is  deserving  of  trial,  and  potassium  nitrate 
seems  to  the  writer  to  be  the  most  logical  one 
to  try." 

Potassium  nitrate  is  otherwise  known  as  salt- 
petre. It  is  found  in  the  soil,  and  naturally  it 
enters  into  the  composition  of  the  plant,  by 
which  means  it  finds  its  way  into  the  body  of 
man.  We  can  safely  take  it  without  fear  of 
forming  a  habit  as  no  conscious  sensations  result 
from  taking  it. 

But  nitrate  of  potash  is  not  a  drug  which 
can  be  used  indiscriminately.  Its  efficacy  de- 
pends upon  the  quantity  taken,  the  size  of  the 


36  CANCER 

dose,  the  frequency  and  the  manner  of  giving  it. 
Large  doses  are  extremely  irritant  to  the  stom- 
ach and  intestines,  causing  gastritis  and  enter- 
itis. It  is  also  a  powerful  heart  depressant. 
Imprudently  used,  this  drug  is  not  without 
danger.  Therefore  it  should  be  given  under 
the  supervision  of  a  physician  and  the  aim  of 
the  scientific  Doctor  should  be  to  follow  nature's 
methods  as  closely  as  possible  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  this  drug,  and  particularly  in  the 
dosage;  for  as  nature  administers  potash  in 
food,  the  dose  is  excessively  minute  and  often 
repeated.  But  the  important  corollary  from 
the  natural  minute  dosage,  obtained  in  certain 
foods,  is  the  dissociation  or  ionization  of  the 
salt  in  order  to  obtain  its  quick  appropriation 
by  the  cells  and  the  maximum  efficiency  of  the 
various  complex  electro-chemical  and  other  in- 
teractions produced  by  it.  As  the  Doctor  can- 
not precisely  duplicate  nature's  methods,  he 
should  for  that  reason  take  great  pains  to  ap- 
proximate them  by  the  proper  dilution  of  the 
drug  and  through  its  frequency  of  administra- 
tion. By  this  means  it  will  be  shown  that 
nitrate  of  potash  is  the  agent  which  will  displace 
the  excess  soda  accumulated  in  the  cells,  and  aid 
in  restoring  their  normal  chemical  equilibrium 
and  their  power  of  resistance  against  factors 


CAUSE— PEEVENTION — CURE  3T 

wliicli  tend  to  cause  an  inflammation,  and  the 
possible  focus  for  the  beginning  of  cancer. 

Of  all  the  salts  of  the  earth  that  enter  into 
the  composition  of  the  animal  and  the  vegetable 
cell,  potassium  nitrate  seems  to  have  been  se- 
lected by  nature  as  one  of  the  great  stabilizers 
of  the  chemical  constitution  of  the  body. 

To  understand  the  comparative  chemistry  of 
the  kindred  salts,  or  those  salts  which  replace 
one  another,  books  on  chemistry  should  be  con- 
sulted, but  all  that  need  be  said  here  is  that  no 
other  salt  possesses  in  a  like  manner  the  com- 
bined action  of  an  acid  and  an  alkali  equal  to 
that  of  the  nitrate  of  potash;  nor  will  similar 
salts  act  as  thoroughly  as  this  salt.  For  ex- 
ample, the  potassium  displaces  the  excess  so- 
dium in  the  cell  and  at  the  same  time  takes  its 
place  in  the  proper  proportion  of  the  cell-in- 
gredients, while  the  nitrate  displaces  the  chlo- 
rides in  the  cell  and  equalizes  the  amount  both 
of  nitrates  and  of  chlorides  suitable  for  the 
proper  functioning  of  the  body;  and  besides, 
should  too  much  of  this  salt  enter  the  system  at 
any  time,  that  which  the  cells  do  not  need  is 
instantly  passed  away  through  the  excretory 
channels. 

In  primeval  times  man  lived  on  raw  herbs 
and  roots  and  he  consumed  a  fair  amount  of 
dirt  and  earth.     It  was  not  necessary  for  him 


38  CANCEE 

to  seek  medicines  to  maintain  his  healtli.  But 
the  development  of  his  inventive  ingenuity  in 
feeding  himself  has  outstripped  the  evolution  of 
his  cells,  and  this  has  disturbed  the  balance 
which  normally  exists  between  the  chemical  con- 
stitution of  his  cells  and  his  bodily  fluids,  with 
the  inevitable  result  that  degenerative  changes 
have  occurred  in  his  internal  organs. 

It  seems  to  be  an  established  fact  that  cancer 
follows  civilization.  One  might  be  pardoned 
for  asking:  Does  it  pay  to  be  civilized,  and 
might  it  not  be  wise  for  us  to  copy  some  of  the, 
dietary  customs,  at  least,  of  the  less  favored  or 
even  savage  peoples  ?  For  by  so  doing  we  might 
free  ourselves  of  much  misery  by  preventing 
one  of  the  most  loathsome  and  cruel  afflictions 
known  to  man. 

Evidently  the  fundamental  principle  which 
governs  health  is  related  to  the  correct  chemical 
constitution  of  the  cell,  and  its  immunity  from 
inflammation.  If  we  can  assume  this  to  be 
true,  knowing  furthermore  that  an  excess  of  an 
element,  such  as  soda,  in  the  cells  may  lead  to 
inflammation  and  subsequently  to  a  disease,  we 
can  affirm  that  the  most  of  our  ills  are  prevent- 
able and  that  they  are  caused  through  vnlful 
disregard  of  natural  laws. 

Thus  far  we  have  dealt  with  the  theory  of 
cancer.     The  theory   is  new.     It  is  original 


CAUSE — PREVENTION — CURE  39 

with  the  author.  Medical  science  has  not  dis- 
covered any  facts  which  conflict  with  this  the- 
ory. On  the  contrary,  there  are  many  known 
facts  which  would  tend  to  verify  the  theory. 
However^  only  the  lapse  of  time  can  do  that. 
If,  after  the  employment  of  the  chemical  anti- 
dote, the  annual  death-rate  of  cancer  gradually 
decreases,  then  one  may  be  justified  in  saying 
that  both  cause  and  cure  of  cancer  have  been 
discovered— but  not  until  then. 

In  concluding  the  discussion  of  the  subject- 
matter  in  this  volume  the  writer  posits  the  be- 
lief that  the  statements  made  are  founded  on 
truth.  The  deductions,  conclusions  and  the 
analogies  are  all  within  the  bounds  of  reason 
and  logic,  and  are  not  dravra.  from  false  or 
shadowy  premises.  However,  if  the  reasoning 
is  faulty,  let  him  correct  it  who  can. 


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